I met Junior Seau a few times when I was in middle school. Whether we were knocking on his door because our basketball “accidentally” landed in his yard or loitering on the street in front of his house, he always took the time to say hi, give us an autograph, or kindly return our ball. I’ll always think of him as a kind, generous, and down-to-earth person…San Diego will truly miss him!

Here’s the info about the memorial event happening in his honor:

The San Diego Chargers will host a Celebration of Life in honor of Chargers linebacker and San Diego community icon Junior Seau on Friday, May 11 at 6:30 pm at Qualcomm Stadium.  The ceremony is open to the public and parking and admission are free.  The Celebration of Life will allow San Diegans to join in a community-wide tribute to their native son who passed away on Wednesday, May 2.  Special guest speakers will share stories and memories of the positive impact Seau made on them and countless others.

The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 2 pm and the stadium gates will open at 4:30 pm.
There is no reserve seating and a large crowd is expected, so fans are urged to arrive early and carpool or take the Trolley.

Donations in Junior’s honor can be made to the Junior Seau Foundation and mailed to the Junior Seau Foundation, 5275 Market Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92114. Donations also can be made online at www.juniorseau.org.

For the past 11 years, my alma mater has organized an art auction and sale to raise money for the village of Chermaitre, Haiti. Over 2,000 Haitian paintings have been purchased by the VHP (Vassar Haiti Project) to date, allowing them to work towards their three-fold mission:

1. To support education, health, and sustainable development in Chermaitre, Haiti.
2. To promote the art of Haiti, and to support the livelihood of hundreds of Haitian artists and artisans.
3. To educate our students and our community.

Below, I’ve picked out a few of my favorites. To see more of the artwork or to learn more about the project, please go to: www.thehaitiproject.org. Enjoy!

Hi everyone! We’re back with more dog-related volunteer opportunities in San Diego. Please check out the options below and email us if you’re interested in participating. Please include your full name, email address, phone number, event number, and shift number (if applicable) so we can forward it on to the people in charge. THANKS!

SNAP Dog Adoption Events

Event #1 // SNAP Adoption Event
Details: 4 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking in, in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home
When:  Saturday, March 10^th 11am-3pm (rain or shine)
Where: Petco (Clairemont) 3994 Clairemont Mesa, San Diego, CA 92117

Event #2 // SNAP Adoption Event
Details: 3 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking in, in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home
When:  Tuesday, March 13^th 7-10pm (rain or shine)
Where: The Comedy Store 916 Pearl Street La Jolla, CA 92037

Event #3 // SNAP Adoption Event
Details: 3 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking in, in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home
When:  Saturday, March 31^st 11am-3pm (rain or shine)
Where: Muttropolis 7755 Girard Avenue La Jolla, CA 92073

SNAP Neuter Scooter Events

Event #4 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Friday, March 9^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Oceanside Petco 3875 Mission Avenue Oceanside, CA

Event #5 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Sunday, March 11^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Oceanside Petco 3875 Mission Avenue Oceanside, CA

Event #6 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed.
When:  Wednesday, March 14^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: San Diego Humane Society 572 Airport Road, Oceanside, CA 92058

Event #7 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Friday, March 16^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Potrero Public Library 24883 Potrero Valley Road, Potrero, CA 91963 (39 miles SE of Downtown San Diego)

Event #8 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Saturday, March 17^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Potrero Public Library 24883 Potrero Valley Road, Potrero, CA 91963 (39 miles SE of Downtown San Diego)

Event #9 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Tuesday, March 20^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Turning the Hearts Center 345 5th Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910

Event #10 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Wednesday, March 21^st 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Turning the Hearts Center 345 5th Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910

Event #11 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Friday, March 23rd 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Turning the Hearts Center 345 5th Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910

Event #12 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Monday, March 26^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Grace Evangelical Methodist Church 3040 Fairmont Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105

Event #13 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Tuesday, March 27^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Grace Evangelical Methodist Church 3040 Fairmont Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105

Event #14 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Wednesday, March 28^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Grace Evangelical Methodist Church 3040 Fairmont Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105

Event #15 // SNAP Neuter Scooter Event
Details: 1-2 volunteers needed to be responsible for reading the go-home instructions to a small group of pet owners when they come to pick up their dogs or cats from being fixed. 
When:  Frday, March 30^th 12:30-3:30pm
Where: Petco 540 North 2nd Street #540, El Cajon, CA

These volunteer opportunities are brought to you by the Dog Lovers Ministry and SNAP San Diego.

If I ever have a pen and paper in hand, I can’t help but doodle. I don’t know why. Most of the time I just practice re-writing what is already on the page in different fonts. Script. Serif. Sans serif. Big type. Tiny type.

I don’t doodle because I’m a master at drawing. Haaardly. I doodle because my brain seems to be unable to shut itself off when it comes to creating, visualizing, and perfecting things. Think of it as ADD meets OCD. This is why I LOVE designing (logos, especially). Give me a logo project and it will be all I think about all day. In the car. On the phone. In bed. While I’m watching tv. I’ll continue brainstorming and sketching until that glorious moment arrives…when I exhale in relief and say “That’s IT.”

The mark up top originated from a doodle I made this morning during church. (Yes, I was paying attention.) I didn’t hem and haw over it like I do with client projects – I just made it for fun. I was inspired by the new series in church and I decided to make it more official.

What does it mean? It means exactly what it says:
LOVE YOUR CITY. Take care of it. VOLUNTEER. Do something.
(To learn more about the message of Pervasive Hope, click on the image.)

Regardless of whether not it’s of your taste, [good] design makes simple messages MEMORABLE. It communicates the big picture as quickly as possible, in as few strokes as possible. So feel free to pin, share, or download my little graphic to encourage your city to take part.

We had a great time at last year’s Paws in the Park event, so we hope you’ll join in the effort to help animals in San Diego!

WHAT is Paws in the Park?
An annual fundraising event that involves a walk in the park and other fun activities for you and your dog(s)
WHEN is it?
Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 8am to noon
WHERE is it?
Kit Carson Park in Escondido, CA

The schedule is as follows:

8:00am : Registration and light breakfast, entertainment, and a special meet and greet
9:00am : Walk kickoff!
10:15am : Contests for you and your dog, including Canine Couture (come dressed to impress) and a Wet T-Shirt Contest (for the dogs, of course!)
11:00am – noon : Entertainment, giveaways, raffle, games, contests, pet confidence-building course and shopping at the Paw Vendor Expo, which will include such vendors as Scentsy, K-9 Dog Park and The Honest Kitchen!

So sign up, raise money (it doesn’t have to be a lot), then take a walk in a park with your pet(s)! Super easy and always fun.

REGISTER HERE and you’ll be set up with a free web page to help you in your fundraising efforts. We understand it’s not the easiest thing to hit up friends and family for cash, but you’ll be surprised how happy people will be to help. (Last year, we doubled our goal within the first few days of signing up.)

Why we support EHS:

In July of 2010, we signed up to foster a dog from the Escondido Humane Society. Her name was Nani (pronounced naw-nee), and she was a 6-year-old pit bull mix with a LOT of issues. She was so stressed out at the shelter that she had to be placed in foster care. When we met her for the first time, she hid behind a chair and trembled, avoiding eye contact and refusing to eat the treats in our hands. As owners of a boisterous, attention-hogging, people-loving pure bred golden retriever, Nani’s behavior was BAFFLING…until we learned about her situation. Apparently, she was found wandering the streets of San Marcos with another pit bull. Upon arriving at the shelter, two things happened: her companion was put to sleep (due to his aggressive behavior), and her unborn pups were aborted (due to fear they had parvo). Needless to say, she was traumatized. Pack that on to a history of abuse. Fast forward to now…Nani is still learning to trust strangers and new dogs, but in the comfort and safety of our home, you would have no idea she’s had such a rough past. Last year, during our walk at Paws in the Park, we ran into Nani’s original foster family (including her favorite chihuahua). She was SO excited to see them she jumped into their arms and licked their faces clean. We joined the other group for the rest of the walk, and it was so wonderful to watch her act like a normal dog!

Anyway, if you were curious about the mysterious dog that appears everywhere, it’s Nani!

Thanks to everyone to who came by to say hello to our foster dog Grizzly! We’re happy to share that he found a permanent home yesterday at The Rock Adoption Event. Congrats, Grizzly!

Hi, I’m Grizzly. I’m a big, loveable guy looking for a great family! I love nothing more than getting pet and sharing your food. I am very friendly with people AND dogs, and though I’m still learning some basic commands, I can sit and stay and will follow you all around the house. (If you ignore me, I’ll just lay next to you and take a nap.) Please don’t be afraid of my size or breed…it hurts my feelings when people are scared of me because all I want is to be their friend.

Come visit me tomorrow at The Rock from 9am to 2pm! I am available for adoption but if you can’t keep me forever, perhaps you can offer me a temporary foster home. I don’t like the shelter and I’d like to move out as soon as possible.

The Rock Church is located in Point Loma, CA. Click here to find it on a map.

I’ll lay down anywhere you’re willing to pet me…even on the stairs.

Look at my huge head! Isn’t it THE BEST?!

I’m wagging my tail here because someone is bribing me to stay still with a treat.

Details about ME, Grizzly:

• People say I’m a pit bull/American bulldog mix.
• I am 3 years old and I weigh 90 lbs.
• My ideal home would have have kids 10 and older.
• I am from the Chula Vista Animal Shelter.
• If you’d like to meet me, please come to The Rock tomorrow (Sunday, Jan. 22) OR email Akula Kreative to get in contact with the right people.

CAN YOU PLEEEEEEASE HELP FIND ME A HOME???

As members of the Dog Lovers Ministry, we’d like to share some dog-related volunteer opportunities for the month of January:

Event #1 // Saturday, Jan 7^th // SNAP Indoor Rummage Sale
7051 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard 92117 (near Starbucks)

• Shift #1 – 7-10am – help with setting up, keeping items organized, purchases, etc
• Shift #2 – 10am-1pm – help with keeping items organized, purchases, etc
• Shift #3 – 1-3pm – help with clean up & taking unsold items to thrift store a few miles away

Event #2 // Saturday, Jan 7^th // SNAP Petco Adoption Event
141 S Las Posas Rd, San Marcos, CA

• 11am-2:15pm –  5 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking into the store in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home.

Event #3 // Saturday, Jan 14th // SNAP Petco Adoption Event
3994 Clairemont Mesa, San Diego, CA 92117

• 11am-2:15pm – 5 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking into the store in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home.

Event #4 // Sunday, Jan 22^nd // Rock Church Dog Adoption Event // *We’ll be here!*
2277 Rosecrans Street (Rock Park in the back of the church)

• Shift #1 – Friday, Jan 19^th-Sunday Jan 22^nd – Anyone willing to foster a shelter dog for 2 nights before the event to give a bath and love up a little before the event.  This helps increase the chance for adoption dramatically by having a personal testimony of the dogs personality.
• Shift #2 – 8:30am-2pm – Volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people leaving the church services in hopes of finding dogs permanent and/or foster homes.
• Shift #3 – 8:30am-2pm – 1 volunteer needed to wear a dog costume and stand out front of the church to encourage people to visit the dog adoption event.

Event #5 // Saturday, Jan 28^th // SNAP Muttropolis Adoption Event
7755 Girard Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037

• 11am-2:15pm – 5 volunteers needed to hang out with a dog from the animal shelter and talk with people walking into the store in hopes of finding the dog a permanent and/or foster home.

If you’re interested in participating in any of these events, please contact us with your name and e-mail address and we’ll relay your info to the person in charge!

How can I help animals in the San Diego community?

There are many ways to help out, and they don’t all involve handing over a credit card. You can volunteer at pet adoption events, foster dogs and cats, help organize events, and much more. Check out some of the links below to donate, volunteer, or adopt!

• Escondido Humane Society
• Dog Lovers Ministry of The Rock Church
• SNAP San Diego

Attention DOG LOVERS :: We post dog-related volunteer opportunities on a monthly basis, so be sure to check back frequently if you’re interested in lending a hand!